Patent GB-920114-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to cable bucket conveyors
IPC: B61B12/10
Filed: 1961-02-28
Abstract: 920,114. Rope railways; terminals and stations for overhead ways. F. W. MIDGLEY. June 7, 1961 [Feb. 28, 1961], No. 7248/61. Classes 78 (4) and 104 (2). [Also in Group XXXII] A cable conveyer comprises an endless cable 1 supported by sheaves 2, 3 to form two laterally spaced, parallel, twin tracks AC and BD which extend between two terminal stations, and which move in opposite directions upon the rotation of the sheaves 2, 3, and a plurality of buckets 49, each pivotally mounted on a carrier 50 provided with saddle shape clips 58 for engagement with the twin cables of a track and flange wheels 60 to run on sets of parallel rails 75 provided at each of the terminal stations and at one or more intermediate stations. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the endless rope 1 is wound around the sheave 2 which is driven by a motor 9 through a reduction gear 11 and gear-wheels 19, 20. The sheave 3 is mounted on a trolley mounted on rails, Figs. 4 and 5 (not shown), and is movable by means of a suspended weight to hold the cable 1 at a constant tension. At each terminal station the parallel rails 75 are arranged in a loop 76 and the tracks of the cable 1 are spaced a predetermined distance from the rails 75 by guide-wheels 81 to facilitate the transfer of the buckets 49 to the rails 75 from the cable 1 and vice versa. The buckets 49, Figs. 6 and 7, are supported by a trunnion 67, eccentric to the centre of gravity of the bucket 49, engaging in hooked ends 66 of hangers 63, 64, pivotally mounted on bolts 65 arranged above the centre of gravity of the bucket and connected to members 62, secured to member 56 forming part of the bucket chassis frame 50. A locking member 68 pivotally mounted at 69 on the hanger 64 engages a catch 72 provided on the bucket 49 to hold the bucket in its operative position. At an intermediate loading station, Fig. 9, the bucket 49 is moved along parallel rails 93 to a position beneath a loading hopper 92. The rails 93 are upwardly inclined at their entrance end 96 and the bucket 49 is driven up such incline 96 by a projection extending from the side of a driving chain 98 engaging a projection protruding from the underside of the bucket 49. The rails are downwardly inclined at 97 to facilitate the return of the bucket to the cable 1. At an unloading position above a hopper 108, Fig. 11, a wheel 73 attached to the upper end of the locking member 68 is moved outwardly of the bucket 49 by a member 112, inclined to the direction of travel, to release the bucket 49 which then tilts to discharge its contents into the hopper 108. The bucket 49 is returned to its normal position by rollers 113 and the locking member 68 is returned to its locking position by a member 115, inclined to the direction of travel, engaging the wheel 73. In an alternative arrangement, Fig. 8 (not shown), at the terminal stations, the buckets are moved on to a platform which is rotated about a central pivot to transfer the bucket from one track to the other. Provision can be made to impart an additional drive to the cable tracks at one or more intermediate driving stations by reeving the cables around driven sheaves mounted below the level of the track, Fig. 12 (not shown). The buckets can also be arranged to run along sets of parallel spaced rails where the cable 1 is deflected at an angle, Figs. 13 and 14 (not shown). In a modified arrangement, Figs. 15, the cable 1 is passed around two terminal sheaves 138, 139 at one end of the conveyer and three terminal sheaves 140, 141 and 142 at the other end of the conveyer to define two parallel tracks EF and GH running in opposite directions.